Artwork of Ben Mata on staircase at home of Bradley and Terrilyn Crowley on February 15, 2012 Tom Reel/ San Antonio Express-News

Photo By TOM REEL/San Antonio Express-News

A pool and waterfall at the Crowley home.

Photo By TOM REEL/San Antonio Express-News

SPACES Front doorway at home of Bradley and Terrilyn Crowley on February 15, 2012 Tom Reel/ San Antonio Express-News

Photo By TOM REEL/San Antonio Express-News

The porch wraps around the home of Bradley and Terrilyn Crowley.

Photo By TOM REEL/San Antonio Express-News

A wine rack in kitchen.

Photo By TOM REEL/San Antonio Express-News

A table in courtyard next to pool at Crowley home.

Photo By TOM REEL/San Antonio Express-News

The sitting pool area features a fireplace.

Photo By TOM REEL/San Antonio Express-News

A dual vanity in one of the bathrooms.

Photo By TOM REEL/San Antonio Express-News

The faceted plaster ceiling in the master bedroom.

Photo By TOM REEL/San Antonio Express-News

The breakfast bar in the kitchen.

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House Rules

Go big, even when it gets tricky. Placing the 125-inch by 60-inch mirror in an upstairs bathroom required some ingenuity. Brad built a crate for the mirror, which was then rappelled over the balcony bridge to the second floor.

Go dramatic. Instead of breaking the flow of the lines created by the 12-foot ceilings in the guest bath, the Crowleys custom-made a floor-to-ceiling shower curtain to add drama and maintain the room's clean lines.

Go luxurious. The Crowleys wanted to give the master bath a spa feel. They included drawers with interior plug-ins for hairdryers and cabinets with slide-outs that offered the convenience of being able to see products at a glance.

Get down to the details. Planning a contemporary home means noticing even the minute details. The cornices of the kitchen cabinets could not be too ornate. Brad also knew the trim on the Prairie Light windows needed to be brown. “It needed to be dark, relaxed colors,” he said.

Got Space?

Know of a beautiful, unique house that would be great for Spaces? Email suggestions for Spaces to Real Estate Editor Emily Spicer, realestate@express-news.net.

Homebuilder Brad Crowley and his wife found a way to combine two worlds when they built their home beside a creek in the new Town Creek subdivision in New Braunfels. They have set urban flair in a rural ambience, and mixed modern style with cozy charm.

The large two-story home contains many unexpected surprises. The first is that the entire house was built around the courtyard on the side of the house that faces the creek, so there's a feeling of privacy while still being open to the elements of nature.

“Even though we are in town, we have this feeling of seclusion when we are out here,” Crowley said.

The highlighted spot of the house, the courtyard, features a 40-foot outdoor fireplace, a large hot tub with a waterfall feature, infrared heater, replica gas lanterns and a dramatic spiral staircase leading up to a second-floor balcony.

Another surprise: The house is a two-parter: One side houses a 700-square-foot square man cave with a partial kitchen above the garage. The other side houses the main living quarters, which offer a contemporary edge.

In the man cave, Crowley chose a dark Antares porcelain tile in black with shades of brown and chocolate that give it a kind of oil-like sheen. A large sectional, throws, home theater system, bar and animal heads complete the look.

“This house is built for entertaining,” Crowley said.

The courtyard looks out over Comal Creek and a walking trail that leads to downtown New Braunfels.

“I even catch small bass in that creek,” Crowley said.

Building a contemporary home can be tricky, Crowley said.

Inside, Crowley pulled off what he says is the most challenging part of building a contemporary home: maintaining sleek, modern lines while creating a comfortable, warm and cozy home.

“You don't want a real ornate product. You want it to be natural. But you don't want a real sterile product,” Crowley said.

Innovative use of materials that show up continuously in different places is one of the ways he does this. Travertine block used on the fireplace shows up again in the dining room ceiling as well as the kitchen floor.

The homebuilder used Caesarstone quartz kitchen countertops.

“It comes in a variety of colors, and it is more durable than other countertops,” Crowley said.

He grew up with oak floors and didn't care much for the grain in the wood. When he came across solid sawn oak, recycled oak cut into thin strips and glued together, he knew it was the right flooring for the house. The dark hues bring warmth to the living and dining areas. Crowley knew it was the right fit and would bring warmth to the living and dining area.

A custom-made concrete dining table made by an artist in San Diego fits well in the contemporary home and adds dramatic flair.

A large piece of artwork, in fluorescent blues, by San Antonio artist Ben Mata, gives color to the room. Another large piece by Mata, this one in shades of reds, adorns the staircase.